Of Mice and Men. Explore the ways Steinbeck makes the ending of the novel so moving.

Explore the ways Steinbeck makes the ending of the novel so moving.

Remember to support your ideas with details from the novel

John Steinbeck makes the ending of Of Mice and Men moving in many ways. The way Steinbeck presents the relationship between George and Lennie is arguably the biggest factor that makes the end of the novel so moving. However, there are other factors such as the way the other characters react to Lennie’s death and Steinbeck’s description of the natural world.

The relationship between George and Lennie is one of the main reasons as to why the ending of the novel is so moving. When George arrives, Lennie wants reassurance from him that he isn’t angry. Lennie is described as looking “eagerly” at George when he asks if George is “gonna give him no more hell.” The word “eagerly” shows that Lennie already knows the answer to this question, but he just wants reassurance from George. George then replies by saying that he is not angry. This shows us that, although the dream has been crushed for George, he is still not too angry with Lennie. Back in the 1930s, following the Great Depression in America, many men wanted to achieve the American dream. The fact that George is not angry with Lennie for ruining his dream shows the reader just how close George and Lennie are. This is one way how Steinbeck makes the end of the novel so moving.

The way Steinbeck describes the natural world also makes the end of the novel moving. Steinbeck uses the example of a water snake being eaten. When the snake is being eaten, it is described as waving its tail “frantically.” This shows the reader that the snake is helpless and it has no way of escaping from its fate. This makes the ending of the novel moving because it makes the reader realise Lennie’s fate and the fact that Lennie is now helpless. After the water snake does die, another snake immediately replaces the dead snake. This shows the reader ...

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The other characters reactions are also factors which make the end of the novel so moving. The reaction of George is probably the most moving reaction. George is described as looking “steadily at his right hand,” showing the reader that George cannot believe what he has just done. This reminds the reader of the close bond between George and Lennie, which makes the novel even more moving. The reaction of Carlson also makes the end of the novel moving. Carlson, a man who has no feelings, cannot understand why George is depressed and upset. He says, “Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin’ them two guys?” This makes the novel moving as it shows the reader that Carlson does not care about the death of Lennie. The fact the Carlson ends the novel makes the reader wonder if George will become like Carlson without Lennie (i.e. a man with no feelings and a man “who goes mean.”). This also makes the ending of the novel moving.

In Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck describes a variety of events which make the ending of the novel so moving. Just like many men in 1930s America, George and Lennie wasn’t to achieve the American dream, only to have their dream completely ruined. This makes the reader feel sorry for the two characters and thus, in this way, the ending of the novel is moving.

Teacher Reviews

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Melissa Thompson

26th of Mar 2013

The strength of this essay is that there is a strong structure to each paragraph. It begins with a point. There is a well-selected quote, and it is then linked back to the essay title. However, the weakness of the essay is that the link back to the title is very simplistic, and doesn't really explain how or why the point shows that the ending is moving.

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